E-Logs May Help Prevent Truck Accidents

Posted By The Stewart Law Firm, PLLC || 4-Aug-2017

Drowsy driving is a consistent cause of many nighttime accidents, not the
least of which involve truck drivers. Driving long hours, often through
the night, can lead to extreme fatigue that may lead to dangerous accidents.
However, electronic logging devices may now decrease the frequency of
such incidents.

As of December of 2017, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
(FMCSA) now requires truck drivers to use electronic logging devices to
record their driving hours. A machine will electronically link to the
truck’s engine, tracking driving time in a more efficient way than
old-fashioned paper logs, which were easily forged. This rule will impact
roughly 3 million truck drivers across the United States.

Commercial truck drivers, as a rule, are prohibited from driving more than 10
consecutive hours and are required to take rest breaks. Unfortunately, when companies
are on strict deadlines, drivers may often feel pressured to drive more
than regulations dictate. Or, some drivers may be offered incentives and
larger profits if they are able to make their destination in record time.
Regardless of the reason, the strenuous schedule of such overwork can
cause drivers to succumb to exhaustion while behind the wheel, thus putting
themselves and everyone else on the road at risk.

Drowsy drivers have a tendency to drift off the road, or into surrounding
walls, railing, or even oncoming traffic. Worse still, drivers who fall
asleep at the wheel may crash blindly into stopped vehicles or other obstacles
in front of them. Or, drivers in and out of sleep may jerk awake, causing
them to swerve to over-correct their driving error, which can make a bad
situation even worse. Collisions with commercial trucks are extremely
dangerous because of their size and are more likely to be fatal than other
types of motor vehicle crashes.

In order to enforce regulations, protecting both truck drivers and other
vehicles on the road, the FMCSA will strictly enforce the use of E-logs.
The FSMCSA estimates the switch from paper to electronic logs will prevent
more than 1,800 accidents each year.